April 26 in freethought history…

April 26, 1995Â – American socialist and civil libertarian Corliss Lamont idies in Ossining, New York, aged 93. He was director of the American Civil Liberties Union for 30 years, and like many leftists of the early 20th century, first praised the Soviet experiment but later condemned it while retaining his socialist ideals. Lamont was deeply involved in the Humanist movement, signing the original Humanist Manifesto and writing several books on Humanism. He was named president emeritus of the American Humanist Association, and was Humanist of the Year in 1977.

April 26, 2010 – “Boobquake,” an international event conceived by skeptical blogger Jennifer McCreight, pokes fun at Iranian ayatollah Kazem Seddiqi’s comments a week before that “many women who do not dress modestly lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, which increases earthquakes.” At Boobquake events in numerous locations, women wore push-up bras, lowcut dresses and other revealing clothing to promote skepticism and science literacy byÂ mocking Seddiqi (and, presumably, other religious spokesmen who claim that sinful behaviors cause natural disasters). Bookquake provoked criticism from some feminists for its supposed objectification of women, and earned McCreight some unwanted attention from misogynist trolls.